Perfect Enough
by FreyaNyneveAri The Pen Dragon
Summary: This started with a one-shot imagining several different ways the two lovebirds could finally reconcile their feelings. This stands alone from The Thing You Love Most but is similar. The one shot after happens to go in the same timeline which is why I made it the second chapter.
1. Enough

p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""No, Newt! I'm coming with you!" She grabbed his arm as he tried to walk away, gripping as hard as she could through the sleeves of his coat. He stopped, and for a moment stopped resisting. She stood there, holding her breath. Perhaps he had changed his mind. Perhaps they would go and get Dumbledore and then Newt wouldn't have to take the fall. He stood still. Nervous, she started talking./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""I know you think you owe him everything, Newt, but you don't. I know it's hard for him. I know he's in love with Grindelwald, but that doesn't give him an excuse to put em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"you/em in harm's way! Because people need em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"you too!/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Newt spoke, without turning around. "I'm not as important as Dumbledore. The wizarding world can thrive without me."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Newton Artemis Fido Scamander, that is garbage and you know it! So what, if you're not a people person? So what if you're not some— some snazzy politician that can mouth off to the Ministry? You've done enough! You did enough to get me my job back with Aurors, you did enough for Frank. Serafina Piquery passed that order on Thunderbirds because of em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"you! You/em made that happen! You are important, you are enough—"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Her voice cracked and she bit her lip hard. Newt turned around, and slowly made his way toward her. Unable to look at him, she continued. "I know what Leta did to you hurt, I know what your brother is doing to you, hurts. But throwing yourself in harm's way to be a hero isn't going to work. It's just going to pass the pain to somebody else…/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She felt his hand on her chin, slowly lifting her face to look at him. She hated it,span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spannow he could see the tears on her cheeks. There were some in his eyes too, though, and that made her feel a little better./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Tina…" He said. "I'd like to apologize in advance if I'm reading things wrong. Although in my defense, Queenie doesn't exactly help…"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""What are you talking about? Reading what wron—"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"but her sentence was lost as he held her face in both his hands and kissed her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"It was more passionate than she had expected from a quiet man like him, as though he had been working up the courage this entire time and didn't want to waste the opportunity. His left Hand was behind her head; the other held her tightly at the waist./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"It was moments later when he pulled away, cheeks flushed, then she realized she had been too shocked to kiss him back. He blinked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Like I said... I'm sorry if I misread things… I just thought—"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Tina flung her arms around him, and brought her lips to his, not even bothering to let go of her wand. After a few moments of his own shock, his hand found her face once more, and for a few moments there was no Grindelwald, no war at all./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He broke away, his forehead resting against hers, eyes closed. He was scared. This was a chance./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""You don't have to do this, Newt." She said. "It's not your fight. Don't leave us. Don't leave me."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He opened his eyes and looked up to the ceiling, as though pleading for answers, before returning his gaze to her eyes./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""If I live, we can talk about this. I love you, Tina Goldstein. Expelliarmus!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"" NO!" But Newt weaved his way out of her arms, catching her wand in his hand, backing away. "Newt! Newt don't do this, please! I will follow you, wand or no wand!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He looked at her sadly. "I know." And with a flick of his wrist, he swung a small green cocoon, releasing the swooping evil which wrapped itself around her, no vine needed this time. She looked into the creatures red eyes, and thought she saw regret there, though she looked up at its master and saw only sadness./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""I know you would follow me anywhere, but you would never risk hurting him. If you apparate to where I am, his life will be in danger as well as yours and I know you wouldn't do that." He backed away slowly, still uneager to go. He addressed the creature. "Orcen, do not let her go on your life. Hopefully Mum will be back soon." And with that he disaparated into thin air./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"The creature looked at Tina, but she couldn't bear to be angry, even at such a frightening thing. All she could do was cry./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Please let me go, boy." She sniffled. "I have to help him, don't you understand?!" The creature only cocked its little skulled head, confused. "I have to save him! I have to follow him! I have to help!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"The creature crooned laying his head on her chest, as though in comfort./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""I love him."/span/p  
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"But the creature did not let her go. She didn't know if it was because he didn't understand… Or maybe because he did./span/p  
/div  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;" /span/p 


	2. Perfect

p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Pre-wedding night scene dedicated to Fabiola Perez because I would never write this type of stuff without her influence./span/em/p  
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Tina tried to take off her beaded headband. Maybe that's what was giving her a headache. The staying charm that Queenie put on it seemed to work./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Excleavio!"/em She muttered, and was able to remove it. She stopped and looked at herself in the mirror. Even she had to admit she was pretty. Her dark locks set into subtle waves, still going down just to her jawline, and her lips painted in a dark shade of mauve. A short sleeve, long evening gown made of white lace-like material made her smile. She had never been one for Princess fantasies, but this was a look she could get used to. And Newt's face – his green eyes wide from astonishment and joy, were fixed in her brain./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Right until the moment his brother Theseus had flown over the wedding ceremony on his Cleansweep 1910, Leta chastising him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""See, darling," she had said, cuffing him on the shoulder. "I told you we should've left earlier."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Just skipping to the good part, shall we?" Amidst the horrified guests, Theseus had taken his place beside his younger brother, and Leta went to sit down, watching as they became man and wife./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"As she stood here in the bathroom, she remembered the cold brown eyes back in London. The slight smile that said so clearly what she thought of Tina./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"You can't hold a candle to me/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;". Tina had refused to look at her and said her vows with more conviction than she ever had rehearsed. She had kissed him. She had danced with him. She had had the night of her life. But of course when Theseus practically grabbed Tina by the arm demanding a dance with his "favorite sister-in-law" there was only one option. As he twirled Tina, she could only watch as her husband waltzed around the dance floor with his old schoolmate, and first love./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""You don't need to worry about that," Theseus said, unabashedly. "Leta was never interested in him. She always had her sights elsewhere." He glanced down at his lapel in an effort to avoid the pride, but Tina could still see it and was disgusted. She had tried to have fun before their port key to Paris, but it was difficult./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"What if he married the wrong girl? What if he's settling for you?"/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Tina?" Newt's voice could be heard beyond the bathroom door. "Darling, you all right?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""I'm fine, Newt just give me…" But then her voice started to shake and so did her hands. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"They were married now./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"That meant…/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Mercy Lewis!/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;" She thought. There had been several times. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Several/em times where she had wished they could've done it, so many times in between the engagement process where she wanted to— but Newt, ever the gentleman, would always stop. Now, now that it was time… She wanted nothing more than to go home to Queenie and hide./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Maybe this is why./span/emspan style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;" She thought, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"he knew you weren't ready./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"It wasn't exactly proper to do it before marriage, but Queenie had gotten away with it and little Terrence had been nearly a month when she and Jacob got married. Absurdly, she remembered the time when she was 16, awkward kissing and attempts at touching her chest in the Ilvermorny halls by Oliver Biggerstaff. It was clumsy and she regretted it afterwards, but there had been nothing more than that./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Ice seemed to coagulate in her throat, and she wondered how much Newt had done./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She immediately felt ashamed of herself./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He probably did nothing, less than you! You're probably going to have to walk him through it, you should be ashamed of yourself!/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"But she remembered Leta's look from the aisle. A smile of self-satisfaction. A clear em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I got there first/em sitting in her eyes. Tina went to the sink and splashed water on her face. Why couldn't she stop shaking?/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Tina. Tina I'm coming in." She didn't stop him, and without further ado he opened the door gently, closing it behind him as though he were trying not to wake a baby. He stepped towards her, and gently swiped the hair out of her face. She didn't move from her position leaning over the sink. She felt a gentle peck as he kissed the back of her neck. She sighed, more from anxiety than pleasure. Sometimes she wished he was a legillimens like her sister./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Tina.." He pulled back, moving around so he could see her face. "What's wrong.?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She stood up straight though she had difficulty looking at him. "Nothing, nothing. I'm fine Newt, I just, I—" she looked down at her hands, visibly trembling now. What was wrong with her?/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"To her surprise, her husband merely smiled and plopped down on the tile floor. She looked at him, confused but he just patted the space beside him. "Come here."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She laughed, looking around the marble and gold gilded bathroom. The Scamanders certainly hadn't begrudged any expenses to their youngest son, despite paying for his brother's wedding a few months prior. She had no parents, and they had only been too happy to oblige./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Every girl deserves a beautiful wedding, lass," she remembered Rhiannon Scamander saying in the Scottish brogue. "After all, you will be our daughter. It is only right, and we want to."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"No matter how nice the bathroom was though, it was still a bathroom, and she couldn't resist rolling her eyes. "Really?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He mirrored her but in exasperation. "Just come on, please."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Tina kicked her feet up behind her one by one, removing the high-heeled shoes and gently tossing them on the bathmat by the shower. She turned around and sat down next to Newt, or tried to— for at the last second, he scooted over and pulled her onto his lap. She rolled her eyes again, but with a smile this time, as she leaned her head back on his shoulder, staring up at the ceiling, his curls against her cheek. She noted the roughness of stubble beginning— he had tried to grow a beard in Africa once, and in Tina's opinion it had worked for him. He must've taken her comments under consideration. He always did./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Tell me, Tina."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She was acutely aware of his hands, not that they were doing anything. Laced together on her stomach, his arms encircling her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""It's stupid," she said, scoffing at herself. "We're married, Mercy Lewis!" She felt her face get hot again./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Which is precisely why we should tell each other almost everything." He said, leaning up to look into her face. She looked down into his green eyes./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Almost/em everything?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Well I doubt you'd want me to tell you I was planning to get you a sneak-a-scope for Christmas, would you? Or that that pink cardigan my grandmother got you makes you—"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""makes me look like a Russian horseradish?" she finished. "I believe you did tell me that, and I'm grateful. The hat aged me ten years."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"His left hand left her stomach and moved to her face. "Though a face like yours, that shouldn't be a problem."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Newt…"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He looked at her with a certain incredulity, as though she had a hidden answer to a question on her face. "You really don't believe it do you?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Even after two and a half years with this man, there was still moments where his gaze could make her uncomfortable. "Believe what?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""How beautiful you are." He said this with no smile. No hint of jesting or flattery. It was as though he had discovered her belief that the earth wasn't round./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She leaned forward and kissed him gently, his hand cradling the right side of her face, before he pulled away, searching, determined, in her eyes./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Tell me."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She looked at him sadly, and leaned her head on his shoulder again. How could you tell someone that you weren't confident in their choice? It was almost as good as saying "I don't believe you love me." Newt did love her, she was sure of it… She just wasn't sure whether she was sharing the spot with someone else too./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Their dates had always been wonderful. Their talks of magical creatures. But whenever em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"she/em was brought up, he clammed up like a cursed dictionary. There would always be something between them. Something she couldn't have. History she couldn't touch./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""It doesn't have to be tonight, Tina."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She turned toward him again." What?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""I mean, it's nerve-racking I know. Neither of us have, well, not completely, I mean. I'm sure… And it's, personal, I understand… No matter what our relationship—"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She stopped and kissed him again, this time more forcefully. He would em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"not/em think low of himself. Not tonight./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""No, no sweetheart, no." She turned her body around, and threw her arms around him, so he had to balance himself for a minute. She pulled away from him." "That's not it at all. I've wanted this, and yeah I'm nervous, but.."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He touched her face. "Then what is it?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She looked at him, her eyes watering with shame the more she thought about it. She hid her head against his chest, and he held her. Ever confused and coming up with his own conclusions./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Tina, I don't understand, darling, what is—" and then his eyes averted from hers./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""You think you've made a mistake? That we've rushed into this? Is that it?" His voice wasn't accusatory, but rather small, and insecure. The tears in her eyes were threatening to come down to her cheeks now./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""No…" She said quietly. "I'm just afraid that you did." He blinked and looked astonished as he sat up./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""What?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"She looked away from the incredulity on his face. "I know, it's stupid. But today, I saw em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"her/em looking at me and... I felt so small. She knows you so much better than I do Newt, and em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"she knows it./em Some part of me wonders that if your brother weren't with her, maybe you would've made a different choice—" but suddenly her face was pulled to face his, his gentle grip stronger on her jaw than it ever had been, not even when he went to fight Grindlewald and kissed her for the first time./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Porpentina Esther Goldstein Scamander…" He said the words softly as though it were spell. "First of all, did you hear 'Leta' anywhere in there?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""No."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Did you hear me say Lestrange? Because I've been told I'm hard of hearing sometimes—"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Newt, don't be ridiculous—"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""No, Tina Goldstein, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"you/em don't be ridiculous." His voice was firm as he caressed her wayward hair once again, cupping his palm on her cheek, and pressing his forehead against hers. "When I kneeled down in Port last year, I wasn't picturing Leta, I was thanking God I dodged her." He smiled. "Your sister was right. She is a taker. And you, my em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"wife/em are one of the most giving people I have yet to meet. You understand me like no one else does, and tried to the way no one else cared to try. If I were in love with Leta at this point I would be one of the greatest fools, because a match for me is right here." Tina felt tears in her eyes as she laughed nervously, but he kept looking at her. "I know a husband isn't supposed to say this to his wife but, you're not perfect. No one is. I most certainly am not.." He stopped as one of his fingers rested on her collarbone before continuing. "But you're perfect for me, Tina. And tonight, and every night after this, hopefully that is all that will matter." They looked at each other for a moment before they kissed, and he pulled away gently, looking at her, as though asking for permission. She didn't say anything, but he gently reached up and touched her face, his hand almost caressing the way down until span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanhe came to her sleeve, sliding it down. She glanced at it as though it were something foreign, but when he kissed her shoulder she felt more secure. She leaned forward to rest her head on him again, but in a sudden move, he repositioned her body, standing up with her in his arms. He simply looked at her for a moment, and she looked at him, not knowing exactly what to say. The genuine admiration on his face was something she could never quite get used to. He carried her to the bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed as though she were a piece of glass./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Newt, I.." He stopped, still leaning over the bed, facing her as he waited for her to finish the sentence. She didn't, so he kissed her lightly and went over to the dresser, taking off his suit jacket and cufflinks. She watched him, being careful to make sure that the suitcase was remaining closed— the niffler always liked to steal those./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He came over to the bed, and took off his shoes, but not his socks, sitting down facing her. Tentatively, he reached his hand forward to touch her face, going down her neck and then to her still covered chest, not lasciviously, but as though he were comforting scared animal./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"I am a scared animal/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;" she thought, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I thought he would be but…"/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Suddenly, he gently moved around her, the bed wavering under the shifting his weight. For some reason, she held her breath. But only felt his hands caressing her back./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Do you mind?"br / "No."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He kissed the back of her left shoulder, and in the back of her neck, before he gently started undoing the buttons, as though she were a child. She felt self-conscious, but felt his palm press against her spine, warm and reassuring, going over and past her brassiere without disturbing it. He kissed the middle of her back, and it surprised her. He noticed her slight intake of breath./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Are you all right?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"The sheer tenderness of the question made her eyes well up. "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." He moved around to the front of her again, and smoothed his hands up and down her arms calmly as he slid her other sleeve down. She pulled her hands out, fighting all of her impulses to cover up. He inched himself closer, his eyes suddenly flickering with nerves. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Now you."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"For some reason she was far more comfortable unbuttoning his shirt. She remembered that one time she had had to during a bad encounter with some blast ended screwts. The burn scars were still there, as well as those from the war. She slid her palm down the familiar marks, once again feeling pity that they should be there at all./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He gently gathered her to him, and held her close, her head resting on his shoulder again. He kissed her shoulder, and then slid his hand behind her back, waiting. She nodded, and he undid the clasp, letting the fabric fall. Without pulling his body away from hers, he looked at her face./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""I love em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"you /emTina Scamander. No one else. I chose no one else. I see no one else. I feel safer.. With no one else, not even my creatures— for you love them as I do." He pulled her face up to look at his. "I made the right choice, I know it, because I found someone who chooses me every day."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He kissed her gently, and she kissed him back. The stars shone through Paris as they were together in the quiet./span/p  
/div 


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